Court Decisions - Religious Freedom Page


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The following are links to the FindLaw database of major Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the definition of religious liberty in America. They have been organized into the categories of Government Intervention, Free Exercise of Religion, and Establishment of Religion. Toggle back to the Profiles of the Decisions to read the summary and significance of each case.

Links to the Decisions

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Government Intervention in Church Controversies

The Free Exercise of Religion

The Jehovah's Witnesses Cases

Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940)
Jones v. Opelika I (1942)
Jones v. Opelika II (1943)
Murdock v. Pennsylvania (1943)
Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940)
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)
Cox v. New Hampshire (1941)
Prince v. Massachusetts (1944)

Conscientious Objection to War
United States v. Schwimmer (1929)
United States v. Macintosh (1931)
Hamilton v. Regents of the Univerisity of California (1934)
Girouard v. United States (1946)
United States v. Seeger (1965)
Welsh v. United States (1970)
Gillette v. United States (1971)

Religion and the Right to Work
Sherbert v. Verner (1963)
Trans World Airlines v. Hardison (1977)
Ohio Civil Rights Commission v. Dayton Christian Schools (1986)
Corporation of the Presiding Bishops of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Amos (1987)
Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith (1990)

Religious Tests for Public Service or Benefits
Torcaso v. Watkins (1961)
McDaniel v. Paty (1978)
Goldman v. Weinberger (1986)
Bowen v. Roy (1986)

Free Exercise and Public Education
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
Widmar v. Vincent (1981)
Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens(1990)
Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District (1993)
Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia (1995)

Free Exercise and Taxation
United States v. Lee (1982)
Bob Jones University v. United States (1983)

Solicitation by Religious Groups
Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness (1981)

Free Exercise and Eminent Domain
Lying v. Northwest Indian CPA (1988)

Outlawing of Religious Sacrifice
Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah (1993)

The Establishment of Religion

Standing to Sue

Flast v. Cohen (1968)
Valley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church and State (1982)
Bender v. Williamsport (1986)

Tax Exemption to Religious Institutions
Walz v. Tax Commission of the City of New York (1970)
Texas Monthly Inc. v. Bullock (1989)

Sunday Work
McGowan v. Maryland (1961)
Braunfeld v. Brown (1961)
Thorton v. Caldor (1985)

Religious Institution Functioning as a Government Agency
Larkin v. Grendel's Den
Bowen v. Kendrick (1988)
Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School v. Grumet (1994)

Unequal Government Treatment of Religious Groups
Larson v. Valente (1982)

Legislative Chaplains
Marsh v. Chambers (1983)

Government-Sponsored Nativity Scenes
Lynch v. Donnelly (1984)
County of Allegheny v. ACLU Greater Pittsburgh Chapter (1989)

Government Aid to Public Education
McCollum v. Board of Education (1948)
Zorach v. Clauson (1952)
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
Abington Township School District v. Schempp (1963)
Epperson v. Arkansas (1968)
Stone v. Graham (1980)
Wallace v. Jaffree (1985)
Agostini v. Felton (1997)

Governmental Aid to Church-Related Schools
Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925)
Cochran v. Louisiana State Board of Education (1930)
Everson v. Board of Education (1947)
Board of Education v. Allen (1968)
Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind (1970)
Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
Tilton v. Richardson (1971)
Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Nyquist (1973)
Meek v. Pittenger (1975)
Roemer v. Board of Public Works of Maryland (1976)
Wolman v. Walter (1977)
Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Regan (1980)
Mueller v. Allen (1983)
Aguilar v. Felton (1985)
Grand Rapids School District v. Ball (1985)
Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District (1993)

Prayer in Public Schools
Lee v. Weisman (1992)

Teaching of Creationism in Public Schools